


Jumper

by micehell



Category: Jericho (US 2006), Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Crossover, Drama, M/M, Yeah sorry about the whole crossover thing but..., set in the future of both shows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-04-04
Updated: 2008-04-04
Packaged: 2017-11-12 03:20:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/486097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/micehell/pseuds/micehell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It wasn't like Robert didn't know that Jake was a pilot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jumper

**Author's Note:**

> This was totally not my fault. There was talk (on my journal) about how both John and Jake are pilots, then some thought over how Jake would react to jumpers, then I got sidetracked by thinking about what would happen to the SGC if they were in the _Jericho_ universe, and then this happened. So, see, totally not my fault. ;)
> 
> About the timeline: being the geek I am, I looked closely at the flash of Jake's passport that Hawkins sees, and it says he was born in 77. Since he's 32 when the show starts, that would mean that it's supposed to take place a little in our future, which, if you consider SGA to be running concurrently with the real world time -- regardless of who they have as president ;) -- then that means all of this takes place in the future, and nothing I have in here contradicts canon for either show. Whether it screws up the characterization is another matter, but no direct canon violations. *snicker*

It wasn't like Robert didn't know that Jake was a pilot. After all, he'd flown with him several times since that first, rather hectic flight. So Robert shouldn't have been surprised when he turned around, expecting to find his partner right beside him, and instead found him with his face pressed against a window, nose leaving smudge marks on it, staring raptly at one of the jumpers as it moved through some rather flashy maneuvers. Whoever the pilot was, they were both a show-off and good. And they had Jake's complete attention.

And as much as Robert hated to play the disapproving authority figure, hoping like hell that Jake never thought of him as anything like a _father_ , he still felt a moment of sympathy for the late Mayor Green and the hell he must have gone through trying to keep Jake on track. "Do you know anything about discretion, Jake?"

If he'd actually been hoping to shame Jake into focusing back on the mission, he would have been sadly disappointed. Jake didn't even look at him as he answered, "But did you see that? They look so clunky, but the maneuverability! I have to fly one of those."

Like a kid at Christmas time, and while there was a part of Robert that found it immeasurably cute, the rest of him was actually paying attention to the matter at hand. They were on too tight a schedule to fool around. "Well, you can't fly one."

Jake laughed, deliberately misunderstanding. "I can. I have the gene." He paused, finally turning to Robert, his eyes far away even as he focused back on his partner. "I can hear them, Hawkins. I can hear them. It's like they're talking to me. Sirens, calling from the shore."

Robert shook his head. Fly-boys. He should have known better than to get involved with one. They were always more trouble than they were worth.

Later, if someone had asked, Robert would have told them it was just a coincidence. But at that moment, it seemed like fate. Like some Power-That-Be had not only heard his thought about fly-boys, but was giving them a break on a mission they barely had time to complete before the departure window came. So instead of having to explain to Jake that the mission came first, and that they didn't have time to find a credible excuse for why two visiting techs would need to fly a jumper -- let alone come up with a good excuse for why Jake wasn't assigned to Atlantis permanently like all the other gene carriers the SGC could rescue from a post-bomb world -- Robert prodded Jake over towards the landing bay and the jumper that had just landed.

The pilot of the shuttle was walking in their direction, and Robert knew it the moment John recognized him, the sour look on his face almost making Robert laugh. He held it in, though, not wanting to antagonize someone who would probably help them. If he was still the same type of man Robert remembered, anyway. But if what he remembered _was_ still true, then even though John could take being laughed at, it wouldn't stop him from 'accidentally' kneeing Robert in the balls in retaliation.

He nodded as John approached them, giving both Robert and Jake a wary look. Robert hadn't seen his name on Atlantis' duty roster, smuggled to them by their contact, but then he probably didn't know the real one anyway. Columbia hadn't been the kind of mission for complete honesty. What he did know was that John owed him. And he could see that John knew that, too.

And wasn't too happy about it, either. "What are _you_ doing on my base?"

_His_ base, and said like he actually meant it. That was a potential wrinkle. John the disaffected soldier would have helped them with no problem, even if he was irritated at having a debt called in, but John the military commander of Atlantis? That was an unknown in the equation. Still, he did owe Robert, and he'd been the type to pay his debts. If things played out right, not only might they finish the mission before their departure window, but he might, _might_ , just be able to get Jake his ride.

Jake was looking at him, obviously expecting an explanation of what was going on, but Robert didn't want to take the time to explain now. Not before he'd seen which way things were going to go with John. He put a hand out to brush against one of Jake's, a signal to follow his lead -- and hoped that Jake actually would follow it -- while he answered "A little of this. A little of that. But enough with the small talk."

That earned him a genuine smile, but John waited for Robert to continue, rocking on his heels a little as if he was half expecting to have to jump into action. And considering their history, it wasn't like he didn't have reason to worry. "I just need some information that one of your scientists, name was Jimson, left behind when she was stationed here. She said she stashed it in her lab with some other things, but then forgot about it when she left. If you just remember that little incident down in Columbia, and keep in mind that I'll be out of your hair faster if you give me a little help, things would probably go better for the both of us."

John closed his eyes and sighed. "Was?"

The question confused Robert, not tracking what John was asking him, but Jake figured it out, giving a short nod. "Yeah. She was caught in an ambush about two weeks ago. We tried, but… she'd lost too much blood."

As if just noticing him for the first time, though Robert didn't believe that at all, John studied Jake. Which only made Jake's unease with strangers more apparent, darting a nervous glance between Robert and John, tacitly asking Robert how worried he should be. But before he could reassure Jake, John did something that Robert couldn't see, but that seemed to set Jake at ease.

Robert had only known Jake a relatively short time, but it had been an intense year, letting neither of them keep very many of their secrets from the other. So Robert could say he probably knew Jake better than most of the people who'd known him his entire life. But he'd never seen Jake that relaxed around someone he'd just met, especially someone who was both male and in a position of authority -- pretty much guaranteed to make Jake bristle, at least initially -- and Robert wished he had instant replay to see exactly what it was that John had done . Maybe it was something about the gene, which, considering John had been flying the jumper, Robert knew they both had, or maybe there was some secret fly-boy signal that had passed between them. But whatever it was, it was making _Robert_ a little uneasy now.

Or, if he was being perfectly honest with himself, perhaps that was a little jealous. It wasn't like he didn't know that John was good-looking. Hell, they'd spent two weeks basically living in each other's pocket, and it had taken all his will-power -- and the fact that he wouldn't do that to Darcy, not at that point in their marriage -- to keep his hands to himself. And it wasn't like he even bothered to keep his hands to himself where Jake was concerned, but then Jake always seemed to bring out both the best and the worst in him.

Robert gave himself a mental slap, and reminded himself that this wasn't the time or the place for relationship issues. He had a mission, two if he counted Jake's damn jumper fetish, and he didn't have time to be wondering if his partner and the apparent military commander of Atlantis were making some kind of eyes at each other.

But John, damn him for being far too perceptive for Robert's peace of mind, had caught on, and was now the one suppressing his laughter. But Robert was mostly willing to ignore the smirk, because John was also nodding his head. "I do owe you. And I know there's no way you'd be working against the US, not the real one, but I'm giving you fair warning. If anything you want is going to put me or mine in any kind of jeopardy, and you don't warn me… then whatever mess it is that you're trying to fix is going to be the least of your worries. Do you understand me?"

John was still outwardly calm, still smirking like he hadn't a care in the world, but Robert knew better than to not take him seriously. And as competent a fighter as he knew himself to be, Robert was glad it wasn't going to be an issue, because he did _not_ want to fuck with the man.

"I give you my word. We just need the data. We… really need it, John. Things… aren't going as well as we'd hoped."

That took the smirk off John's face, replacing it with a grimace. "If I could, I'd help more, you know. But the SGC is having to fight as it is to keep China from claiming the stargate in the wake of everything that happened, and with so many of the marines caught up in what's going on, we're having a hard time keeping from being booted out of the program altogether, let alone…" he trailed off, but Robert knew what he meant.

"We all have our fights. If I could help you in yours…"

John smiled at that, not-quite-entirely-bad memory clear in his eyes. "Yeah. And remembering what you did in Columbia, I wish I could take you up on it. Maybe one day."

And maybe they would one day, but in the meantime they had a mission, and they'd already paid too high a price to get Simpson's data to forget that now. He turned back to Jake, expecting to see exasperation on his face over the conversation he'd been excluded from, but Jake wasn't even paying them any attention, his eyes firmly back on the jumper, like a junkie needing a fix.

John noticed the look too, and probably understood it even better than Robert did, because even while he was steering them down the hall away from the hanger, he was asking Jake what he'd flown, both of them ignoring Robert as they reminisced about the planes they'd handled like some men bragged about the women they'd had.

If you had the commander of the base on your side, it didn't take long to get what you needed. Instead of having to come up with a sly way to get inside Jimson's old lab and find the jump drives she'd left there, you just had to stand by while he said, "Yeah, those drives? I need them," and you were done.

John did insist on looking at the data first, apparently understanding the equations that were mostly just numbers to Robert. Which was a little surprising, not to mention a little sexy, but Robert shook that thought off, not needing any more complications in his life.

After he was sure that there was nothing on the drives that he wasn't willing to let Robert have, John again demonstrated that understated perception, asking Jake, "Want to take a ride in a jumper? Gate doesn't open back to Earth for another 3 hours, so there's plenty of time."

And while he was glad that Jake was getting his wish, Robert was almost sorry he'd got it, too. Jake wasn't going to just want to be a passenger, no matter how much Robert urged discretion, and as easygoing as he was, John might not be happy that there was a gene carrier out there that the SGC hadn't managed to station on Atlantis, far away from the problems of the Allied States and right there to help with the ongoing problem of the Wraith.

Seeing the joy that lit Jake's face, Robert could also have wished that it was someone other than John, with his pretty face and his easy manners, that had caused that look. But whoever had caused it, Robert couldn't deny Jake the chance. They'd had little rest in months, the fighting intense and the opposition far too aware of who was a thorn in their collective side. With all that had been happening, Robert couldn't remember the last time Jake had been so happy. Outside of sex, anyway.

And Jake's reaction to the jumper, to John letting him take the controls, wasn't far enough outside of sex for Robert's comfort. Jake's face when he flew was like his face when he was aroused; cheeks flushed, eyes bright, lips slightly parted, tongue tracing over his lips. Robert wanted to kiss him right then and there, and John giving Jake instructions that sounded purposely suggestive wasn't helping at all. _Right there_ , _slow, slow, just ease in_ , and _you have great hands, Jake_ \-- and Robert wished people would stop saying that, though he had to admit it was true -- had Robert wanting to talk Jake into setting the ship down somewhere, kicking John the hell out, and bending Jake over that control panel he was running those great hands all over and fucking the hell out of him until they both couldn’t walk.

But Jake was so obviously happy, smiling and light in a way he almost never was, and jealous or not, Robert could also kiss John for giving this to him.

When they finally set back down in Atlantis, John pulled Robert to the side, grinning at an oblivious Jake, whose hands were still stroking over the control panel even after they'd landed. And even though he deliberately wasn't looking at him, Robert knew John was talking directly to him when he said, "There's nothing like it. Flying, that is. And flying a jumper… well, that's light years past what he's flown before. It might take him a little while to land, if you know what I mean. So I figured I'd let him stay in here until closer to time for you guys to leave. Figure an hour before anyone'll come knocking."

Subtle it wasn't, and Robert almost turned the offer away. But it was rare they had time where they could freely let their guard down, and John was offering to watch their backs, if just for the moment. And Jake was still fingering the ship in a way that was making Robert even more jealous than he'd been of John, so Robert nodded his thanks, saying, "Now I owe you one."

John left, his voice floating back even as the jumper door closed. "You remember that, Robert, because I just might come to collect."

If Robert had thought that Jake was too involved with his new relationship to pay any attention to what was going on around him, he had that worry laid to rest the second the door closed behind John. Jake had his arms around him, hands up under his shirt, lips hard against Robert's before he could even say a word. Not that Robert wanted to talk, not with Jake so close, his expression wide open, and Robert reflected in his eyes.

He'd wanted to fuck Jake up against the jumper, wanted to have him connected to them both, but they didn't have anything to use, and they didn't really have time anyway, not with both of them so close. Instead they had hands and teeth and tongues, all riding the thin line between hard and rough, and neither of them caring if sometimes it crossed over it. Even the brief-bright flares of pain felt good, need and safety and mission over all mixing together with the taste of Jake, the feel of him, until Robert couldn't hold it back any longer, bucking up into Jake's hand even as he bit back his name, discretion far too engrained to give up now.

Jake sagged against him, still hard, but his urgency quieted for now. Robert held him close, touch and kisses growing softer, gentler, less about need than connection. Jake rocked against him, letting his forehead rest against Robert's shoulder, almost whispering, "I've never felt anything like flying this ship. It was…"

He trailed off, apparently unable to put it into words. But Robert could feel the tension in him, more than just arousal. "You want to stay, don’t you?"

Jake didn't answer, but Robert knew he was right. He also knew that Jake wouldn't stay, no matter how much he wanted the jumper. No matter how much he wanted a fight where the enemy wouldn't ever turn out to be someone you'd known your whole life, maybe even someone that you'd loved. Because Jake understood duty and sacrifice as well as Robert did, even if he fought against it more, and Jake would never desert those waiting for them back home.

And jealous or not, Robert also knew that Jake wouldn't desert him. It might not be hearts and flowers, and it was never going to be easy, but loyalty was only part of what Jake felt for him, and it wasn't the thrill of flying that was making Jake push against him now, turning his head into the crook of Robert's shoulder as he sighed out his release.

They spent the rest of their time just sitting in the cockpit, Robert's hand on Jake's shoulder as Jake showed off all the bells and whistles the jumper had, trying to find the words to make Robert understand in his ground-bounder mind what it meant to fly.

Jake was concocting plans to get them a jumper of their own, past the SGC's reluctance to take sides in the war -- afraid they'd come down on the wrong side and give China the opening it needed to lock them out of the program they'd spent so many years and lives on -- when John came back. He let it go, thanking John for the chance to fly it, following him quietly back to the gate to stand with the others waiting to gate back to Earth.

It left Robert a chance to say his own thanks, well aware that just because Jake had stopped talking about it didn't mean he'd stopped _thinking_ about it, and he felt a momentary impulse to warn John to hide the keys to the jumpers if he didn't want to lose one. But then he remembered how much they could use a jumper, and how much Jake wanted one, and how a locked door wouldn't stop Jake anyway, not with the skills he'd learned in his misspent youth. So he just smiled at John instead, and said, "Thanks for the help. And the ride," laughing on his way back to the gate at the near double entendre.

And as the gate swirled around them, taking them back home, he made a promise to both Jake and John. "We'll be back."

/story


End file.
